Trackless power-driven vehicle.



I. E. PALMER.

TBAGKLESS POWER DRIVEN VEHICLE.

. APrLIoA'rIoN IILBD HAY e, 190B 938,783. Patented NW2, 1909.

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. Isaac liJDezl/zzel,l by@ @W5 @wwf I. EQ PALMER.

TRACKLESS POWER DRIVEN VEHICLE. APPLIQATION FILED une, 1908.

Patented Nov. 2, 1909.

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Inventar:

I. E. PALMER.

TRACKLESS POWER DRIVER' VBHIGLE. APPLIoATIoN FILED un 6, 1908.

Patented Nov.2, 1909.

V 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ngi 5 y 6 5 a' W556i: Inventor:

MGM v saacEPal/nen .Xm- [(l` b 5M j 50 w/ ISAAC E. PALMER, OF MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT.

TRACKLESS POWER-DR1VEN VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

'Patented Nov. 2, 19t-)9.

Application led May 6, 1908. Serial No. 431,156.

To ob whom it may concern:

lle it'. known that I, Isar-xc E. Pannen, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Middletown, iii the county of Middlesex and State otl Connecticut, have .invented an linproveinent in Trackless Power-Driven Vehicles. oi' which the following description, in connection with the aceoi'npanying drawings, is a specification, like numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to trackless power driven vehicles and has more particularly for its objects to provide a construction whereby it desired the use ot pneumatic tires may be avoided, to provide increased traction, to provide more extensive wheel support so as to reduce the weight upon individual wlmels, to reduce the liability of skidding, and to provide it desired conipen sating devices for the laterally detleotable' wheels.

In order that the principles of the invention may be clearly ui'iderstood, I have disclosed certain types or embodin'ients of my invention in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a plan viewT ot a form of trackless power driven vehicle embodying my invention, parts being broken away; Fig. 2 is a side. elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a section upon the line 3-25 of Fig. l looking toward the rear. the intermediate wheels being in elevation; Fig. sl. is a plan view of a slightly modihed form of my invention; Fig. 5 is av plan view ot' the forward portion of ati-ackless power driven vehicle having'separate steering means for the front and rear wheels g' Fig. t3 is a modified form of such construction; Fig. 7 is afurther modifiedv form thereof; and Fig. 8 is a detail representing in vertical longitudinal section the preferred manner of mounting the steering devices shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 'i'.

Referring tirst to the form of the invention represented in Figs. l to #L inclusivtf.. the body trame. oi' the automobile is represented at 1. it being of any suitable type and construction. The body frame is composed as shown of opposite, preferably unitary side members otl substantially the lengthr of the automobile and tiansverse connectioi'is, thus affording the substantially rigid unitaiy structure. 'lhereto I have coi'inecte fl they leading wheel or wheels. herein represented as a pair ot' wheels mounted tor lateral i or guiding deflection relative to the longi- 1 tudinal axis of the vehicle upon the/axle 3. 'l he said wheels and the other wheels of the vehicle may be mounted in transverse almement or oat of transverse alinement as found desiral'ile. Steering movement maybe imparted to said wheels 2-2 in any suitable manner, as by means otl a transverse. roda pivotally connectedto the levers 5 5, which arev pivotally mounted at t3 upon the axle l, it being apparent that when axial movement is initnirted to the rod et, the wheels 2--2 are laterally deflected in the desired direction. Suc-h steering movement may be imparted by any suitable steering nieeluinism (not herein shown) operatively connected to the said rod fl.

In the present torni of the invention, I have represented two pairs oic rear wheels T--T and tri-8 mounted respectively upon axles' t) and 1t). W'hile either pair ot rear wheels may be driven, I have herein represented tlie rear wheels 8 5 as driven'by sprocket chains ll-ll mounted upon sprocket gears 12 and 13, to the former of which. power may be applied in any suitable manner. It is evident that any suitablel driving means may be employed.

In certain forms of my invention, I may employother arrangements of rear Wheels, as, for example, but a single pair thereof. I contemplate the mounting` of a pair of rear lwheels, and in the present invention onel of the tivo pairs of rear wheels, upon an axle .which itself is mounted for pivotal movementf in a horizontal plane, so that steering moven'ient may be imparted thereto. In Figs. l, and 3, I have represei'ited the axle Si as so mounted, and for this purpose I have in said figures represented the axle 9 as pivotally mounted upon a vertical bolt lt passing through said axle and the transverse web 15 of the f aune, said axle and frame being herein represented as provided with enlarged contacting or bearing surfaces 16 and 17. Steering movement may be imparted to. the wheels upon the axle 9 in any suitable maiiner. trated in Figs. l, if) and 3, I have connected -the said axle 9 to the rod 4L by a yoke 18.

It is, of course, apparent that any suitable connection may be employed. Then steeringmovement is imparted to the rod 4t and thence to the wheels 2 2, it will be apparent that turning movement.l is likewise imparted to the wheels 77, but to a less extent, owing to the relation and connection of the sev- In the form of the invention illuseral parts. Owing to the suliicient looseness of the parts and the resiliency of the said yoke 18, the 'desired stceringrmovement may be imparted through the rod 4 and yoke 18.

In Fig. 4 I have represented a vehicle having front wheels 2 2 and two sets of rear wheels 19-19 and 20 20,the forward set of said rear wheels being driven in any suitable manner, as, for example, by a shaft drive. The wheels 20 20 are mounted upon an axle 21, which is pivotally mounted by means of a vertical bolt 22 in a manner similar to the mounting of the axle 9 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In this form of the invention, steering movement may bel imparted vto the front wheelsl 2 2 in any suitable manner, as, for example, by imparting axial or longitudinal movement to the rod 4, and in, any desired manner turning movement may be imparted to the axle 21. Herein, for thepurpose, I have represented chains 23--23 connected at their forward ends to the extremities of the levers 5 5 and at their rear ends to the axle 21, they beingherein represented as guided .intermediate their ends by sprocket wheels 24 suitably mounted in the framing of the vehicle.

In F igs: 5 to 8 inclusive, I have' represented certam forms of my invention embodying front wheels and preferably more than a pair of rear wheels with separate steering means for the front wheels and the rear wheels or certain of them. In Fig. 5 I have represented the forward portion of a vehicle having. leading wheels 2 2, to which steering movement may be imparted by means of' levers 5 5, the transverse rod 4 and a link 25 pivotally connected at one end to one of the levers 5 and at its other end to a rack 26 (see-Fig. 8) mounted for sliding movement in a suitable guide way 27, herein represented as secured to a transverse member 28 formed with orsecured to hangers 29 secured to the body frame of the vehicle. A pinion 30 upon the lower end of the spindle 31 of the steering mechanism meshes with the said rack 26, and thereby imparts 'steering movement to the` wheels 2 2. It is apparent that the forward portion of the vehicle represented in Fig. 5 may be employed with any suitable construction of rear portion thereof; as, for example, the construction shown in said figure may be employed in connection with .a Vvehicle having more than two pairs of rear wheels and wherein, if two pairs of rear wheels be employed, either pair may be driven and the other pair be mounted for lateral defiection. In said figure are represented connecting rods 32 32 adapted to be suitably connected to the rear wheels or to any pair of rear wheels, if more than a single pair thereof be employed. In

'order to impart steering movement to such movable pair of rear wheels, which are preferably mounted upon a turning axle, such as ,to the transverse member 28. Meshing with said rack is a pinionV 35 secured upon the lower end of the spindle 36 of a separate steering mechanism. By the described construction, when it is desired to impart turning movement to the vehicle, steering movement may first be imparted to a pair of rear wheels through the pinion 35 and spindle 36, the said steering gear being then preferably set in any desired manner. Thereupon steering or turning' movement may be imparted to the front wheels 2 2'through the gear 3() and spindle 31, the steering gear for the rear wheel being released at the proper time.

' In Fig. (3, I have represented a slightlymodilied construction. Therein, the leading wheels 2 2 are mounted as indicated in F 5, and steering movement is imparted thereto in substantially the same manner. .The rear wheels or, if more than one pair thereof be employed, one of said pairs of rear wheels is connected by sprocket chains 2%? 37 withv a rack mounted in a guide way 38 secured to a transverse member 3S). Herein said sprocket chains 37 are represented as passed about guiding pulleys or sprocket wheels 40-40. It will, of course, be apparent that the separate steering gears represented in this figure are intended to be employed in the manner indicated with respect to'- Fig. 5.

In Fig. 7, I have represented the sprocket chains 37 37 as connected to the forward aXle 41 of thc rear wheels which herein are represented at 42 42, t3- 4-3, the said axle being mounted for turning movement in the I manne-r more fully represented in Figs. 2 and 3. The sprocket chains 37 are represented as passed about guiding pulleys or sprocket wheels 4() 4O and as connected with the adjacent ends of a rack mounted in av guide way 38, with which rack the gear 35 meshes in the manner more fully described in connection with F igs. 5 and 6. In such form of the invention the Wheels l13 43 may be driven in any suitable manner.

It' desired and preferably I connect. as

shown most clearly in Fig. 2, the frontbodiment of my invention, I desire it to be i understood-that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and l two axles to the rear of said front. axle one of said two rear axles being mounted in both side members of said frame, a pair of driven wheels mounted upon said axle anda pair of non-driven wheels mounted upon the other of said two rear axles, said other rear axle being mounted in said body frame for movement in a substantially horizontal plane, a motor supported bythe frame, connections therefrom to the first mentioned ofl said two rear axles, steering means connecting said front wheels4 and connections between said steering means and said movable rear axle whereby when steering movement is imparted to the dirigible wheels of the front fixed axle steering movement is imparted to said rear movable axle.

2. An automobile comprising in combination a body frame com osed of opposite, unitary' side members of) substantially the length of the automobile and transverse connections therefor, a xed front'axle' mounted in said frame, a pair of non-driven wheels pivoted upon said fixed axle, levers connected to said wheels, steering means connected to said levers, two axles to the rear of said front axle, one of said two rear axles being mounted in both side members of said frame, a pair of driven wheels mounted upon saidl axle and a pair of non-driven wheels mounted upon the other of said two rear axles, said other rear axle bein pivoted intermediate its ends in said bo y frame for swinging movement in a horizontal plane, a motor supported by the frame, connections therefrom to the first mentioned of saidtwo rear axles and connections between said steering means and said pivoted axle, whereby when steering movement'- is im parted to the front wheels` steering movement is also imparted to said pivoted axle.

3. An automobile comprisingV in combination a body frame composed of opposite unitary side members of substantially the length ofthe automobile, and transverse connections therefrom, a fixed front axle mounted in said frame, a pair of non-driven but dirigible wheels mounted upon said axle, two axles to the rear of said front axle, the rearmost of said two rear axles being mounted in both side members of said'frame, a pair of wheels mounfd upon said rearmost axle, a motor and motor shaft, chain oon- .nections from said motor shaft to said rearmost axle, said other rear axle being mounted in said body frame for movement in a substantially horizon-tal plane, a pair of nondriven wheels mounted upon said last mentioned axle, steering means connecting said front wheels, and connections between said steering means and said movable rear axle, whereby when steering movement is' imparted to the dirigible wheels of the front fixed axle steering movement is imparted to said rear movable axle.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ISAAC E. PALMER.

GEO. C. HAINs. 

